Gidget (1959)

A young girl discovers surfing and love (in that order) during one transitive summer.

Director:

Paul Wendkos

Writers:

Gabrielle Upton (screenplay), Frederick Kohner (novel)

Stars:

Sandra Dee, James Darren, Cliff Robertson

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sandra Dee	...	Francie Lawrence aka Gidget
James Darren	...	Jeffrey Matthews aka Moondoggie
Cliff Robertson	...	Burt Vail aka The Big Kahuna
Arthur O'Connell	...	Russell Lawrence
The Four Preps	...	Band at Beach
Mary LaRoche	...	Mrs. Dorothy Lawrence
Joby Baker	...	Stinky
Tom Laughlin	...	Lover Boy
Sue George	...	Betty Louise aka B.L.
Robert Ellis	...	Hot Shot
Jo Morrow	...	Mary Lou
Yvonne Craig	...	Nan
Patti Kane	...	Patti
Doug McClure	...	Waikiki
Burt Metcalfe	...	Lord Byron

Storyline

Due to an accident while swimming in the sea, Francis meets the surfer Moondoggy. She's fascinated of his sport and starts to hang out with his clique. Although they make fun of her at first, they teach her to surf. Soon she's accepted and given the nickname "Gidget". But it's hard work to become more than a friend to Moondoggy.

---

Plot Keywords:

surfing | surf | love | beach | swimsuit | 

---

Taglines:

Watch out Brigitte...here comes Gidget!

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

April entdeckt die Männer

Filming Locations:

Leo Carrillo State Beach - 35000 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (ColumbiaColor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The producer wanted Elvis Presley to play the leading male role but the studio declined because Presley was at the time too expensive.

---

Goofs

When Gidget has completed her first successful surf the gang carry a surf board back to the shack. An audio reel of various ad libs plays during this part. After the Gidget learns of the "orgy" the gang disbands and the very same audio reel of ad libs is heard though it has no relevance this time around.

---

Quotes

Gidget: Surfing is out of this world. You can't imagine the thrill of the shooting the curl. It positively surpasses every living emotion I've ever had.

---

Connections

Referenced in Tosh.0: Worst Best Man Speech (2009)

---

Soundtracks

"Cinderella"
Written by Glen Larson and Bruce Belland
Sung by The Four Preps
Exclusive Capitol Recording Artists

User Reviews

Harmless Entertainment

Okay, no one will ever put this movie alongside The Godfather or Citizen Kane in the pantheon of great movies (at least I hope not). And maybe it wasn't even realistic about teen life in 1959. But as entertainment this is sure a lot better than scores of movies (think Waterworld or Ishtar) that believed they were a good way for people to spend a couple hours of their lives. Gidget may not aim high but it hit the exact spot it was aiming for.

With a daughter about to turn 21, I sure wish girls spent their teenage years interacting with boys the way Gidget did. Never worrying about drugs or alcohol, knowing not to let boys take advantage of her. Listening to the Four Preps instead of that damn rap music today.

Sandra Dee does a great job of playing a teenager (which shouldn't have been a stretch for her in 1959 unlike James Darren or the other surfers). She does a great job of acting like she's really on a real surfboard in those rear projection shots. I mean, I'm sure Gidget and Moondoggie could surf a few feet from each other all the while giving meaningful glances at each other. And while Arthur O'Connell does a good job as her father, I've never been able to picture him as anything other than a determined bachelor after his role in Picnic.

So if you have a couple of hours that you just want to veg out on the couch and give your brain a rest, you could do a lot worse than spend it with Gidget. RIP Sandra!